Harry d



H.}D. SISSON. ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSIGN APPARATUS POB, ELECTRICAL.

' TEANSLATINGl DEVIGES.

Patented Mar. 1, 1892',

(No Model.)

, @vita/wwe@ HARRY D. SISSON, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO CHARLES H. ROBINSON, OF SAME PLACE.

ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL TRANSLATING DEVICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,080, dated March 1, 1892. Application iiled September 24, 1891. Serial No. 406,653. (N o model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY D. SIssoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Suspension Apparatus for Electrical Translating Devices, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to spring-reels for suspending electric lamps, electric fans, or other translating devices of like nature actuated by electric currents; and it consists of a combination of mechanism whereby such device may be supported at any desired height.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of an `apparatus embodying my invention, taken inthe plane of the dotted line l l in Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is another vertical transverse section taken at right angles to and in the plane of the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A is a reel or drum provided with flanges a a and having journals at its opposite ends, which turn in suitable journal-bearings formed in the frame C C. This frame is of metal and is made in two parts electrically insulated from each other by the non-conducting base-board F and the non-conducting block F. The journalsB B are also electrically insulated from each other in any convenient manner, as by the cylindrical portion of the drum A, which may be made of wood, as shown in the iigures. One of the flanges of the drum A, as a, is fitted. with gravity-pawls D D', which engage with a suitable slot formed in .the block F when the drum rotates slowly, but in case of a more rapid movement vslips by the slot without catching. This construction is essentially the same as that employed in many Well-known forms of spring-actuated window-shades and in itself forms no part of the invention.

The lamp or other translating device is attached to the lower or free end of a flexible cord E, Within which are two flexible electric conductors e and e', insulated from each other.

The terminals of the suspended translating device are electrically connected to these conductors, so that the cord E performs the double function of sustaining the translating' device and conducting the electric current to and from it. The opposite terminals ot' theconductors e and e are mechanically secured to the periphery of the drum A and are also the frame O and the other to the drumA and tends to turn said drum in the proper direction to Wind the cord E thereupon. The circuit-wires w w are attached by clamp-screws c cor other suitable devices to the respective 55 insulated portions of the frame C C', and are thereby placed in electrical'connection with the respective j ournal-bearings and insulated journals B B of drum A. Thewhole mechanism is preferably, but not necessarily, in- 7o closed in a sheet-metal rease H. Vhen the lamp or other translating device is pulled rapidly down, the gravity-pawls D D slip past the slot and meanwhile the spring G is Wound up. vVhen the lamp is in position, one of pawls drop into the slot in the block F and holds the drum and suspended device stationary against the pull of the spring. Vhen it is desired to raise the lamp, the cord is first pulled down, so that the rotation of the drum 8o will disengage the pawl D from the slot in vthe block F', and then slackened quickly, so

as to permit the drum to be rapidly rotated in the reverse direction by the recoil of the spring G. During this rapid rotation the pawls D and D successively impinge upon the surface of the blockF, and are thereby thrown out of engagement with the slot until such time as'the rapid rotation of the drum is checked by a pull upon the cord, when one of 9o said pawls drops into the slot by the action ot gravity, as shown at D in Fig. 2.

I clailn as my invention- The hereinbefore-described adjustable suspension apparatus for electric translating devices, comprising the combination of a baseboard of insulating material, two metallic standards affixed to said baseboard and insulated from each other thereby, a rotatable drum having its opposite journals insulated Ioe from each other and mounted in journal-bearings formed in said standards, one or more A, coiled spring G has one of its ends fixed to 6o the 75 gravity-pawls affixed to said drum and aclaptenit-Wires to said opposite journal-bearings, 1o ed to engage with a slot formed in a block or substantially as set forth.

cross-piece uniting the ends of said standards, In testimony whereof I have hereunto suba iiexible cord containing two electric oonseribed my name this 21st day of September, duetors insulated from each other and oon- A.D. 1801.

nected to the opposite insulated journals of HARRY D. SISSON. said drum, a spring tending to rotate said \Vit1iesses: drum in a direction to Wind said oord there- CHARLES'B DUNHAM,

upon7 and means for the attachment of oir- CHARLES H. ROBINSON. 

